It's difficult to tell Ruth Langmore's age after she's forced to mature so rapidly during Ozark's twisted events, taking over roles that are way too heavy for her years, and becoming a strong, independent woman as opposed to the unreliable girl the show introduced in the first season. Although the same applies to all characters, particularly the Byrde kids, who are forced to take part in a world of violence and crime at the peak of their adolescence, Ruth is arguably the character who goes through the most after she's swept up in the dangerous affairs that Marty Byrde brings right under Ruth Langmore's nose.
It was debatable, at least during the first seasons of Ozark, whether Ruth stumbling upon the Byrdes by chance was a curse or a gift. Known across the Lake of the Ozarks as an unpredictable delinquent, Ruth spent most of her youth targeted by the police due to her countless misdemeanors, until ing Marty in his money laundering business. Discovering a hidden talent for higher-scale crimes, Ruth eventually becomes the manager of the Byrde's front business, the Missouri Belle; all that in a matter of a few months. Although Ruth thrives, her family gradually collapses as part of the larger scheme.
Ruth Langmore Is 19 When She First Meets Marty Byrde
Ruth Langmore's birthday is revealed in Ozark's second episode, "Blue Cat," when Sheriff John Nix presents Ruth as a "B and E magician," indicating her specialty is breaking in. He shows Ruth's criminal record to the Byrdes, revealing her date of birth as March 21, 1998. This means she is 19 years old when she first encounters the Byrdes and that Ruth wasn't lying when she claimed to be 19 years old during her stripper interview with Bobby Dean in episode 4, "Tonight We Improvise." However, in this same episode, Agent Petty's screen shows a different date of birth: September 7, 1998.
The birthday on Petty's screen could imply Ruth is still 18, but Ruth's first date of birth appears to be more reliable as the character herself confirms her age. Nineteen is the perfect age for Ruth because it outlines a character stuck between the need to overcome her turbulent past and the urge to repeat her family's past mistakes. Ruth is seen as a hopeless delinquent in the Ozark community, even though she is old enough to figure out the path ahead and realize her own talents. However, she's also too young to control her unreliable impulses and repressed anger.
The Events Of Ozark Span One Year And Three Months
Although the life of each Ozark character changes drastically through four seasons, everything surprisingly unfolds over the course of just one year and three months. During this time, Ruth loses every bit of innocence her 19-year-old self had after orchestrating her own uncles' deaths, running a big chunk of the Byrdes' business, falling in and out of love, and eventually dying at the hands of the Mexican cartel. Although Ozark season 2 kicks off immediately after the events of season 1, there's a six-month gap between seasons 2 and 3, implying that Ruth had turned 20 by the time she was killed.